In winter, villagers of Qijia Township in Yongxing County, Chenzhou City usually go deep into the mountains to dig fern roots, which are then made into fern root powder  with skills passed down from the older generations. Fern root powder is a local delicacy that combines natural flavor and rich nutrition.

The collected fern roots need to be repeatedly washed in the flowing stream in the mountains to remove soil and other impurities. Then, the crispy and tough fern roots are crushed into sticky and thick paste in a machine.

The mashed fern root paste is poured into a large wooden barrel, mixed with clear mountain spring water, stirred in one direction, and laid still for precipitation.

Two days later, slowly pour out the upper layer of muddy water, leaving the thick fern root powder slurry at the bottom of the bucket. Take a piece of fine white cloth to wrap the original slurry carefully, immerse it in water, rub and squeeze it repeatedly, and finally milky white fluid seeps out of the fabric, which is right the purest essence of fern roots.

After filtering out the residue, the milky white starch water is poured into a large pottery vat and left to stand for one or two days. When the surface water looks clear, a thick layer of snow-white and delicate fern root powder is formed at the bottom of the vat.

Take the solidified fern root powder in whole pieces, break them into small pieces the size of a palm, and evenly spread them on bamboo trays. After a few days, there is the pure white and dry fern root powder.

Take a spoonful of fern root powder, mix it with cold water and stir well. Then pour it in boiling water and stir, and it will solidify into a bowl of crystal clear fern root jelly.

As a characteristic wild food ingredient in Qijia Township, fern root powder is a regular dish on local dining tables in winter, which also carries regional flavors with its natural and healthy characteristics, attracting more and more people to taste.

Chinese source: yxrm